Symposium and exhibition will remind Brno residents of designer Hoffmann

Brno - An international symposium and exhibition will remind of the legacy of the Moravian-born architect and designer Josef Hoffmann in Brno, who participated in the creation of famous arts and crafts workshops in Vienna. He was a pioneer of a comprehensive approach to architecture, designing everything from the overall appearance of buildings to furniture and home accessories. The lectures will also introduce other craft workshops in Bohemia and Moravia, said Hana Laudátová from the hosting Moravian Gallery.
    Hoffmann was born in 1870 in Brtnice near Jihlava, where the Moravian Gallery manages his birthplace. After studying in Jihlava and Brno, he was accepted to the Vienna Academy. He collaborated with Gustav Klimt and other friends in shaping the Vienna Secession.
    In 1903, Hoffmann was among the founders of the Wiener Werkstätte arts and crafts workshops. "The workshops employed several dozen craftsmen who worked based on designs from a wide range of artists. The Wiener Werkstätte influenced the development of the artistic craft in Central Europe and beyond its borders," said Laudátová. The Viennese were inspired by the British Arts and Crafts movement, which advocated a close connection between handicraft production and art.
    Hoffmann himself is the author of an immense number of designs, from tableware and various home accessories to large furniture. When designing larger buildings, he also designed the interior furnishings. In Czech territory, buildings based on Hoffmann's designs were constructed, for example, in Kladno, Koutech nad Desnou, Bruntál, and Vrbno pod Pradědem.
    The international symposium will take place on November 5 at the Museum of Applied Arts. The all-day program will conclude with the opening of the exhibition Ornament and Modernity about Hoffmann's work at the Gallery Sklepení located under the headquarters of the National Heritage Institute in Freedom Square.